While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.' His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, 'We do not want this man to be our king.' But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, 'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.' He replied, 'Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.' Then the second came and reported, 'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.' And to this servant too he said, 'You, take charge of five cities.' Then the other servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.' He said to him, 'With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.' And to those standing by he said, 'Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.' But they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten gold coins.' He replied, 'I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.'"
After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
REFLECTION
“Engage in trade in these until I return.”
Any successes we have in communicating the faith are due to the merciful workings of God’s grace in our lives. We all have images of what something should be. The people following Jesus thought of Him as a King who was to ascend His throne and rule as a King, lording over his subjects and making his authority felt.
But today Jesus tells us that He gives His subjects freedom, even to despise and reject Him.
His power is His Father’s love, offered freely, and allowing us to accept or spurn Him.
He did not leave us in a void, to fend for ourselves and to wander aimlessly until our time comes to leave this world. If you recall, Jesus told His disciples that they would do even greater things than He. (John 14:12). History supports this, each disciple, each saint reached far more people than Jesus during their lifetimes.
How did they and how do we share our gifts with others? We witness the Creator’s love to others. Our talents are not ours, our successes are not ours. We are asked to pour out His love to others. The interest in return is that we become new creatures and we can witness and invite others to Jesus.
May we in humility and obedience entrust our hearts and our thoughts to the King.
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